CVE-2016-7853 in Acrobat Reader
Summary
by MITRE
Adobe Reader and Acrobat before 11.0.18, Acrobat and Acrobat Reader DC Classic before 15.006.30243, and Acrobat and Acrobat Reader DC Continuous before 15.020.20039 on Windows and OS X allow attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service (memory corruption) via unspecified vectors, a different vulnerability than CVE-2016-6940, CVE-2016-6941, CVE-2016-6942, CVE-2016-6943, CVE-2016-6947, CVE-2016-6948, CVE-2016-6950, CVE-2016-6951, CVE-2016-6954, CVE-2016-6955, CVE-2016-6956, CVE-2016-6959, CVE-2016-6960, CVE-2016-6966, CVE-2016-6970, CVE-2016-6972, CVE-2016-6973, CVE-2016-6974, CVE-2016-6975, CVE-2016-6976, CVE-2016-6977, CVE-2016-6978, CVE-2016-6995, CVE-2016-6996, CVE-2016-6997, CVE-2016-6998, CVE-2016-7000, CVE-2016-7001, CVE-2016-7002, CVE-2016-7003, CVE-2016-7004, CVE-2016-7005, CVE-2016-7006, CVE-2016-7007, CVE-2016-7008, CVE-2016-7009, CVE-2016-7010, CVE-2016-7011, CVE-2016-7012, CVE-2016-7013, CVE-2016-7014, CVE-2016-7015, CVE-2016-7016, CVE-2016-7017, CVE-2016-7018, CVE-2016-7019, CVE-2016-7852, and CVE-2016-7854.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/07/2017
Adobe Reader and Acrobat products have long been prime targets for cyber attackers due to their widespread deployment and the privileged execution context they operate in. This particular vulnerability CVE-2016-7853 represents a critical memory corruption flaw that affects multiple versions of Adobe's document processing software across both Windows and macOS platforms. The vulnerability enables attackers to achieve arbitrary code execution or cause denial of service conditions through unspecified attack vectors, making it particularly dangerous in enterprise environments where these applications are commonly used for document review and processing. The flaw exists in the parsing and rendering components of Adobe's PDF processing engine, which handles various document elements including embedded objects, JavaScript, and complex graphical content.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from improper memory handling during the processing of PDF documents, which can lead to heap-based buffer overflows or other memory corruption conditions. Attackers can craft malicious PDF files that, when opened by an affected version of Adobe Reader or Acrobat, trigger the memory corruption exploit. This type of vulnerability falls under the CWE-125 weakness category for out-of-bounds read conditions and CWE-787 for out-of-bounds write conditions, representing common attack surfaces in software applications that process untrusted input data. The memory corruption occurs within the PDF parser's handling of specific document elements, potentially allowing attackers to overwrite critical memory locations or manipulate program execution flow. The vulnerability's classification aligns with ATT&CK technique T1203 for Exploitation for Client Execution, where adversaries leverage vulnerabilities in commonly used applications to gain remote code execution capabilities.
The operational impact of CVE-2016-7853 extends beyond simple exploitation as it can be leveraged for advanced persistent threat campaigns. Organizations running affected versions of Adobe Reader or Acrobat face significant risk of compromise, particularly when these applications are used to process documents from untrusted sources or when users are targeted through spear-phishing campaigns. The vulnerability's presence in both classic and continuous delivery versions of Adobe Acrobat DC means that enterprises using either deployment model are equally at risk. Attackers can potentially use this vulnerability to establish persistent access to target systems, escalate privileges, or deploy additional malware payloads through the compromised applications. The memory corruption nature also makes it particularly challenging to detect through traditional signature-based security measures, as the exploitation may appear as normal application behavior until the memory corruption manifests.
Organizations should prioritize immediate patching of all affected Adobe Reader and Acrobat installations to mitigate this vulnerability. The recommended mitigation strategy includes applying the latest security updates from Adobe, which address the memory corruption issues in the PDF processing engine. System administrators should also implement additional protective measures such as disabling JavaScript execution in PDF documents, implementing strict file validation policies, and monitoring for suspicious PDF file access patterns. Network segmentation and application whitelisting can help reduce the attack surface by limiting which systems can execute Adobe Reader or Acrobat applications. Security teams should also consider implementing endpoint detection and response solutions that can identify anomalous behavior patterns associated with memory corruption exploits. Regular vulnerability assessments and penetration testing should be conducted to ensure that all endpoints are properly patched and that the organization's defenses remain effective against similar vulnerabilities in the future.